The heels on most women's footwear are generally made of hard plastic or wooden blocks called “heel blocks,” that can be covered with various materials called “heel covers.” Heel covers may include materials such as leather, suede, stacked leather, and fabric. These thin soft heel covers are often merely glued to heel blocks, are very fragile, and tend to damage easily. There are a variety of causes of damage to heel covers including, but not limited to, catching the back of the heel on a curb, escalator, or leg of a chair; getting into and out of a car; driving a car; walking down stairs; etc. The most destructive form of damage often occurs when the heel slips into the crack or grate of a sidewalk.
Some heel blocks are constructed of solid wood, which is then polished. Damaging these types of heels is akin to damaging a fine piece of furniture, where only refinishing can restore the original luster of the design. Other heel blocks may be finished with a metallic or painted type covering. These finishes are extremely fragile during wear and any damage to the finishes would be difficult to repair at a shoe repair shop.
When shoes are worn outside, especially on city sidewalks, the top lifts (plastic or rubber bottom pieces of the heel) wear down extremely quickly. If these are not replaced in time, the heel cover, along with the heel block, can be damaged.
Further, when sitting on a stool or a raised chair with a foot bar, women tend to hook the heel over the bar, such that the waist of the shoe rests on the bar. On lighter colored soles, the bar can leave dirt and marks. This causes more of a problem with many of today's high end shoes which have signature sole colors that extend all the way to the waist and even the heel breast. This problem may also occur, albeit at a lower occurrence, simply by walking up stairs.
Also, heel covers, especially those made of fabric, can sustain substantial damage in the form of discoloration when exposed to various elements such as water, snow, rain or puddles. Additionally, women may tip-toe around, or even limit where they walk, when attending a garden party, for example, for fear of their heels being ruined by slipping into the lawn.